Homonym
Project name
Typology
Location
Year
Status
Size
Design team
Photographer
Homonym
Art
Coimbatore
2022
Completed
810 sq.ft
Tasneem Vohra, Kkanche Ratadia, Hari Balaji, Sanjunega Senthilkumar, Ummulbani Rangoonwala
Ahlam (One Box)
Located in Coimbatore, India, this housing society lies in a prime developing area around the main trunk road, with flyovers and metro lines under construction. The apartment on the 4th floor of this building came to us with a simple design brief: a Chettinad inspired house for a couple. It is a 3BHK apartment with an added study and a help's quarter, spanning 1919 sq. ft.
The clients wanted to keep it functional and rooted in their culture. So, the approach to the design was a mix of Chettinad elements and contemporary sensibilities for planning. We broke down a wall to create a singular large space combining the living, dining, and pooja rooms. In traditional chettinad homes use of vibrant hues, rich wooden cravings and the courtyard is pivotal. We tried to inculcate these ideas to demarcate the functions by the idea of "courtyards” which were highlighted by vibrant Athangudi tiles vastly used in chettinad homes and Kota stone for the rest of the areas. We also used carved pillars to mark the pooja area.
However, due to Covid-19, not only did the construction get delayed, but our clients also had a change of plans. Instead of moving into their new home, they decided to put it up for rent. This curtailed the scope of work, as we could only finish the apartment up to the point of leaving it as an empty shell with the ceiling, walls, and floor finishes ready for rent.
Having completed the shell, the element that stood out the most was the flooring, with the contrasting grey-green Kota stone and vibrant red-yellow Athangudi tiles. This inspired an idea: What if this space could be rented not only as a house but also as an office, retail shop, or gallery? Most objects and spaces are given a purpose before they are conceived; they are manufactured with an objective in mind. Yet, as human beings, we find ways to perceive and interact with these ideas outside the jurisdiction of their intent. Houses, being the most common denominator of multi-utility, prompted us to rent it as a gallery space for a few days.
We invited four artists and four product designers to showcase their work. The challenge was to design a gallery in an unfurnished apartment and use the available context of the interiors to curate the exhibition which would be open to the public. We used the living-dining-pooja "courtyards" as our main art display and two rooms and balconies to display products. The rest of the areas remained closed. The circulation of the exhibition was planned intending the visitors to walk around and over these "courtyards."
With a focus on cost-effectiveness and preserving the apartment's rental potential, MDF display panels were suspended from the true ceiling. They were ready to be smoothly restored at the false ceiling level after the exhibition concluded. These panels were hung diagonally in the courtyards allowing in light from the windows and also creating multiple vantage points within one frame of vision. Moreover, this arrangement facilitated the visitors' seamless navigation through the courtyards, offering an uninterrupted path of exploration. Hanging the panels made sure that the flooring is unobscured by any objects. In contrast, other products found their place upon the Kota floor, blending with the gallery's ambiance. The exhibition graphics drew their inspiration from the flooring design patterns and colours, showcasing them as the central protagonist of the narrative.
We studied the circulation, the demographics, and the visitors' curiosity. Our design process ventured into the realm of possibility, unravelling the multi-faceted potential of a house – transforming it into a gallery, an office, a retail shop, or any other conceivable rental space. Collaborating with our clients, we delved into a realm where design and theory converged within the architectural canvas.
